DeviantArt user whitebelt247 correctly predicted the announcement of the game in the above artwork, posted in late August. He just made the box for the wrong system (for now)!
Posts with tag Taito
Cooking Mama goes outside for Gardening Mama
DeviantArt user whitebelt247 correctly predicted the announcement of the game in the above artwork, posted in late August. He just made the box for the wrong system (for now)!
Taito producers talk Exit DS, The Legend of Kage 2
We spent most of this year enthralled by the prospect of Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid DS. Now that they've shipped, we've transferred our Taito game anticipation to the two upcoming games The Legend of Kage 2 and Exit DS.Jeremy Parish interviewed the producers of each game, learning interesting factoids about both. For example, Lancarse, part ofthe Etrian Odyssey development team, is responsible for Kage 2. And for the first time that we've seen, a Taito developer acknowledges the NES Demon Sword as a Kage series game -- before dismissing it. We had been wondering about that! And despite being a Taito side-view game with a lot of elevators (and, yes, some action), Exit was not inspired by Elevator Action.
Gallery: The Legend of Kage 2
Gallery: Exit DS
Source - Kage 2
Source - Exit DS
The DS Life: Light the Way
Despite the title, this post has nothing to do with Prism: Light the Way, one of the DS's most interesting but overlooked puzzlers. Circuit City has the game on sale for $9.99 this week, though, so you should totally look into picking it up anyway!
For this week's edition of The DS Life, we'll look at several images taken from photographer Patrick Brosset's collection of light painting shots, long-exposure photos taken with streaks of light drawn over the scene. What does this creative technique have to do with the Nintendo DS or gaming? Join us past the break to find out!
Space Invaders Extreme: DS vs. PSP
Space Invaders Extreme has been out in the U.S. and Europe for about a month now, so if you haven't bought this gem yet (and according to certain chartz, most of you haven't), we can only assume it's because you're still deciding which version to pick up.
As you probably know, the game released for both the DS and the PSP. One of the reasons that certain bloggers (namely, this one) were so excited for the U.S. release of Space Invaders Extreme in the first place was because its downloadable demo for the PSP was nothing short of awesome. You can imagine, then, how torn we were when it came to choosing between the DS and PSP versions of the game. We only figured that some of our readers were going through the same dilemma, and thus we ended up trying out both just so that you don't have to.
If you want to see how Space Invaders Extreme DS and PSP stack up against each other, just click on past the break for a pretty chart and in-depth category breakdowns.
As you probably know, the game released for both the DS and the PSP. One of the reasons that certain bloggers (namely, this one) were so excited for the U.S. release of Space Invaders Extreme in the first place was because its downloadable demo for the PSP was nothing short of awesome. You can imagine, then, how torn we were when it came to choosing between the DS and PSP versions of the game. We only figured that some of our readers were going through the same dilemma, and thus we ended up trying out both just so that you don't have to.
If you want to see how Space Invaders Extreme DS and PSP stack up against each other, just click on past the break for a pretty chart and in-depth category breakdowns.
Gallery: Space Invaders Extreme (DS)
Fanswag Reminder: Taito/SE gear to fill your hours
E308: Square Enix confirms North American release of Exit, Legend of Kage 2
Square Enix has announced its E3 lineup, and it features two ... not surprises, exactly, but games whose releases have so far been unconfirmed. We're very happy to see two more games from Taito's DS lineup, Exit DS and The Legend of Kage 2, planned for U.S. release. Maybe Arkanoid and Space Invaders Extreme are doing okay at retail!Like the previous pair, Exit DS and Kage 2 are shipping simultaneously, on October 7. While Arkanoid and Space Invaders were both based on moving left to right and destroying columns of enemies on the top screen, Exit DS and Kage 2 are both side-scrolling platform action games. It's like these pairs were planned from the start! But where does that leave poor Pet Shop Monogatari?
On the non-Taito side, Square Enix will show off Final Fantasy IV, Dragon Quest IV, and Chrono Trigger.
Gallery: Exit DS
Gallery: The Legend of Kage 2
DS Daily: Recent favorite
We imagine you game quite a bit on the handheld, too. So, we have to ask: what is your recent favorite game? What game have you played lately that has blown you away? A little game called Space Invaders Extreme? Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2? Well, what game have you played lately that has been just plain great?
Do the Pet Shop Monogatari dance
The two, with Yamasato be-dog-suited and Shizu-chan dressed in the garb of the game's pet shop proprietress, star in a cute demonstration video of Monogatari's gameplay. In the other two videos found in the official Pet Shop Monogatari site's Gallery area (look for their smiling faces!), the team performs a Pet Shop Monogatari-themed song and dance (to the tune of "Camptown Races").
In case you're like us and tempted to sing and dance along to the "Wan Nyan Buu Taisou" ("Woof Meow Oink Exercise"), we've transcribed and translated the lyrics after the break.
DS Fanswag: Space Invaders Extreme, Arkanoid, and a paddle to play 'em with
What do you need to do to win? Well, since it's almost time for E3, tell us what you hope will be announced at the show! You may enter once per day and the contest will run through Sunday, July 13th; that night, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, entries will close, and we'll choose one winner in a random drawing. To enter, you must be 18 or older, and a current legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). Have questions? Check the official rules.
Pet Shop Story launching with cuteness and executioners
The "other" game in Taito's catalogue is coming out very shortly in Japan, where aspiring Pet Shop Story owners can come together and scrub penguins. See, even if a pet shop that actually sold penguins existed, we're sure there would be more interesting things to do with them.There's a launch party in Yokohama on July 13th, when an "entertainer" will meet and greet the first customers for Pet Shop Story. It's this guy, so don't bring the kids.
Go ahead and fawn over more screens of cuteness after the break. If you can handle
Continue reading Pet Shop Story launching with cuteness and executioners
Exit DS escapes Japan, according to ESRB
We're happy to report that despite their efforts to stop unannounced games from showing up, the ESRB is still a source of news. The latest update reveals that, as seen on Gamefly's "Coming Soon" page, Taito's Exit DS is being planned for release in the U.S. Like Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid DS, Exit will be published by Taito's parent company, Square Enix.Exit DS is a new version of Taito's popular PSP/Xbox puzzle platformer Exit, which involves maneuvering a character named Mr. ESC out of buildings, and rescuing other inhabitants while doing so. The DS version adds optional, potentially weird, stylus controls.
Gallery: Exit DS
Pet Shop Monogatari is unbearably cute
The only pet-care game we find ourselves caring about is also one of the few that isn't planned for release here. Taito's Pet Shop Monogatari DS is a pet-adoption RPG with Cooking Mama art and penguin washing. Penguin washing! We usually react coolly to the proliferation of pet games on the DS, but this one has the distinct possibility of being interesting, due to Taito's involvement.There's also the fact that it's uncommonly cute, even for what it is. Screenshot after screenshot proves this point adorably. If there's even the slightest chance that a game this cute can also be non-terrible, we're on board.
DS Fanboy Review: Space Invaders Extreme
Anticipating a game can be a very dangerous diversion. If you have high hopes for a title, it's easier to find yourself disappointed than satisfied. This is what I was afraid of with Space Invaders Extreme; after drooling over the renovated Taito classic for months on end, I was worried that my expectations would set the bar too high. Basically, if it didn't completely blow my mind, the game was going to be a letdown.
Consider my mind blown.
Consider my mind blown.
Gallery: Space Invaders Extreme (DS)
DS Fanboy Review: Arkanoid DS
It's pretty good. It fails to hold up perfectly to the original, but it's pretty good.
Friday Video: Yes, it has a story
The Arkanoid series appears to be fairly abstract. The paddle and blocks can't be anything other than gameplay elements, right? The Tetris blocks don't represent animals or anything, and Arkanoid is the same kind of non-narrative puzzle-action experience.
Except it isn't. One of the things that elevates Arkanoid beyond other Breakout clones is its ridiculous sci-fi storyline, which pits a cylindrical spaceship called the Vaus against barriers put up by the evil Doh, who is a giant moai. The Vaus's primary weapon is ... a giant ball that the crew bounces off of the ship's own body. The spacefaring backdrop makes the game a lot more enjoyable -- especially once you realize that your every action jostles the crew of a spaceship as if they were in a giant cocktail shaker.
For an example of the kind of epic narrative featured in the series (which, to an extent, is also found in Arkanoid DS), we've chosen to present the ending from the Super NES Arkanoid: Doh it Again.
